Like every year, harassment during Eid journey would not spare the commuters this year also. The Highway Development and Maintenance (HDM) circle of Roads and Highways Department’s (RHD) says one-fourth roads and highways in the country are still in dilapidated condition. In this background, insiders from transport sector apprehended that highway passenger will suffer terribly during this year’s Eid journey also.
RHD sources said it has around 21,300 km of roads and highways across the country under its jurisdiction. Out of the total length, around 17,976 km have been surveyed from November to January.
Out of 3,821 km of national highways, around 3,760 km have been surveyed.
According to the survey, around 2,148 km of highways are in good condition and 813 km are in normal condition. The rest are in bad or very bad condition.
Among the total roads and highways surveyed, around 9,640 km (53 %) are in good condition while 3,600 km are in average or normal condition. The rest is in bad or very bad condition.
According to the survey, ‘bad’ condition means roads and highways with ditches and broken pavements while ‘very bad’ means roads not suitable for plying vehicles.
Transport sector sources said among the highways, Dhaka-Chattogram and Joydevpur-Mymensing highways are in the worst condition. One-fourth of these two highways are in very dilapidated condition. Moreover, in 22 districts in the northern region of the country, around 5 km highway has been totally destroyed at 62 places, around 62 km submerge under flood water and around 5,115 km highways are affected.
On condition of anonymity, we are not getting adequate funds for road repair and reconstruction. Moreover, the trucks plying on our highways have a capacity to carry 15 tonnes of goods. Being pressurised by truck owners, we have permitted to carry 22 tonnes, but they carry 70-80 tonnes of goods at times.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and technology teacher Professor Dr Shamsul Huq told the Bangla Tribune: “Average lifetime of a highway is considered 20 years. It is unbelievable that they would be broken or affected within two years only. It cannot happen without grave negligence, corruption, irregularities and defective construction on part of the authorities.”
RHD senior official Abdullah Al Mamun said roads get affected for different reasons. In our country, for the lack of alternative road or highways, we are bound to open a road just after construction.
Bangladesh Passenger’s Welfare Association Secretary General Mozammel Huq Chowdhury while contacted said, “Many commuters get stuck on the highways on Eid day every year due to the dire states of highways. The highways turn into a living hell. Due to the negligence of road contractors and RHD authorities, we are not getting any result even after spending crores of money.”
“Every year, around 11.5 millions of people leave the capital to celebrate Eid festival with near and dear ones. If the communications ministry does not take necessary steps now to repair the highways, the pleasure of Eid will turn into a calamity,” he added.